Is 30 minutes of cardio enough?

momtobe06

Hi All,

I am starting my fourth week of my new fit lifestyle.. I am working out five days a week.. M-F for 30 minutes early in the morning before work. I am doing couch to 5k on the treadmill or my nordic track skier. When on the treadmill I basically end up running for 15 and power walking for 15. I get my HR up and have a good sweat. I take weekends off to rest & be with my Family.


also twice a week I add some ab crunches and arm work with free weights. I have never worked out five days a week before, and I expected better results. I weigh myself one week and I am up 3 lbs, the next I am down 2lb and then today up 3 lbs again. I know fitness is more than the number on a scale. I have under 20 lbs that I want to lose.. and I am getting frustrated.

I am working so hard.. so sore and tired.. I just want to see results. How do I not get discouraged ?

I have taken before measurements and will check my progress with those. I see some small changes & less fat in my upper arms. I also feel great about myself overall for getting up and working out.


any advice? should I up my cardio to 40 minutes?

dad106

For the bulk of my journey, all I did was do cardio for 30 minutes...and I lost just fine.

What you are seeing is the muscles retaining water as they repair themselves... and it should even out the more that you exercise and adapt to your program.

momtobe06

Thank you

fattofit20

Thanks for asking this question! I'd like to hear what everyone has to say too. I'm doing about the same thing you're doing but have started adding some toning and light hand weights. So far I've lost approximately a pound a week.

shelbiejo

I am doing the same thing and not seeing any huge results But I feel a lot better knowing that I am actually doing it...So I guess all there is to do is keep going and hope that it pays off. Results take time.

momtobe06

The gaining is what is hard for me to see.... especially when I am working my butt off.

TeaBea

Keep up the good work. Take measurements .... this will mean so much more than the scale.

vice1989

I lost 45 lbs a few years ago, and I was doing like 40-80 min cardio every day and it worked awesome pounds melted off, But now I gained like 5 lbs back and I am just trying to lose that, but i am doing 30min a day and its just not happening. I am starting to do 60 min a day now and that should do it.

belgerian

I primarly just did cardio and still do I kept bumping up my time till I could go running for almost 2 hours granted it was a 10 minute mile but I could do it then I started bumping up the speed. I guess it depends on your goals and how much time you have to spend. Today I still run for about 70 minutes thats 9 miles 5-6 times a week. When I got to the point where I could easily go for a hour and along with watching my food intake the fat really just melted off.

momtobe06

I am going to try bumping it up five minutes first and then work my way to 40

JesterMFP

The fact that your muscles are so sore definitely makes me think that you're probably retaining water as they repair themselves.

Cheri1218

Exercising 30 minutes a day should be enough. I would suggest analyzing what you eat a little more closely. I assume you are using the food tracker here, but if not you should start. And my biggest problem has always been portion size. I know it's a pain, but we really need to measure everything until it becomes second nature. If you're doing all that, maybe your daily calorie count needs to be adjusted. Many folks on here have said when they weren't losing they bumped their daily count by 100-200 more and then started seeing results. Seems opposite of what we would expect, but our bodies are crazy machines sometimes.
Good luck!

v70t5m

Do you have a good HRM?

MFP overestimates my calorie expenditure, which certainly had an impact on my eating back.

I now log only my HRM calories, and it is usually half of what MFP guesstimates.

iWaffle

I am starting my fourth week of my new fit lifestyle.. I am working out five days a week.. M-F for 30 minutes early in the morning before work.... I take weekends off to rest & be with my Family.

I'm doing 30 minutes of cardio 4-5 times a week first thing in the morning and strength training 4 times a week after dinner. I don't do cardio on the weekend and It's working really well for me.

I weigh myself one week and I am up 3 lbs, the next I am down 2lb and then today up 3 lbs again.

I weigh myself every morning. You'll see those ups and downs on the scale but you'll also see what's happening in the middle. If you only weigh in once a week you could be missing the day that you're down 3 lbs.

I see some small changes & less fat in my upper arms. I also feel great about myself overall for getting up and working out.

Focus on your success and not the shortcomings. Like you said take tape measurements occasionally and check those. It could be that you're shrinking your waist even though your weight is the same. Use the tape with the scale. In all honestly your end goal is really about the tape measurement more than it is the scale but both are measurements of progress.

any advice? should I up my cardio to 40 minutes?

Start doing some HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) in your cardio. Do 5 minutes on a flat surface and then 5 minutes on a 3% - 5% incline. Alternate the flat/incline throughout your entire exercise time. What's your diet look like? If you're exercising as much as you say you are and not making any progress you need to reexamine your food intake. You can always out-eat your exercise. The kitchen is probably 60% - 70% of your success.

momtobe06

Thanks for the advice.... I don't have a HRM.. but I did order a fitbit

cmeshew

When you look back at all the fitness videos and fitness trends cardio has always been upfront but what people don't understand is running, while it gets your heart rate up its a constant. I use to run all the time and had the same problem I would even do the stair climber and still wouldn't see much of a result. It wan't until my boyfriend who is a keinseology major started showing me interval training that I started to see real results. He would have me run 400meters then doing at least four differnt types of excerises in between and I would run again and repeat the exercies at least three to four rounds. I started seeing my stamina increase. I felt pumped and uplifted wanted to try new things. I then turned to P90X and What Tony horton calls Muscle confusion and interval training (like I said before) which has increased my stamina even more and helped tone my arms and legs along with other places I didn't even realize could get toned. I would also take a look at tony's ten minute videos he uploads on youtube. they are very helpful and can show you ways to not only lose inches but tone up. Because what most people dont realize is muscle ways more than fat. So it just might be your losing the fat and gaining muscle in your legs, which is what I was doing. I have been training for two weeks now and have only lost two pounds but have already lost several inches in other places. I say its not just about cardio but toning is a big part of your weight loss success. Another helpful tool I have used was the Biggest loser. They have great strater workouts and are very motivating and postive.

Another very very helpful tool is the heart rate monitor like someone suggested! I just started using mine it even calculates a more accurate idea of how many calories you burn. It can also tell you when your in your own target heart rate zone and for how long you were there.

Lastly, Food Intake! I would say not only is staying in your target calorie goal a big helpful tool but also staying away from sugars. I found that almost everyday i may have eaten the right amount of calories but i would go over in my sugar. doesn't matter how hard you try to keep the weight away the sugar will be your nemsis every time! I agree with the idea of portion control! Once you get your metabolism going it just keeps going all day and you will want to eat at least six small a day. What people don't understand is your diet is just as important as your workout. It's what fuels you!

cmeshew

One more thing, Keep up the great work!! Just because your not losing fast weight doen't mean your not doing your body right! Its a slow process just remember how long it took you to get where you are now! and although the road might be tough it will be worth it in the end. Its not just about weight loss its about being fit and healthy. Keep that in mind and you will keep your motivation going.

momtobe06

Thanks again for the wonderful support.. you guys are the best

timvickroy

The difference between 30 minutes of cardio and 40 minutes isn't very much, actually. The average person burns around 10 calories per minute doing a moderately intense cardio workout. Adding five minutes a day results in difference of only 50 more calories burned. Adding ten minutes results in 100 more calories. That's about the same amount of calories that are in one apple.

I would look more closely at what and how much you are eating. The bottom line is you need to have a daily calorie deficit to burn fat and lose weight. Without this, it won't happen. What is your estimated BMR? How much are you eating per day? Are you accurately keeping track of everything? I would start by answering these questions and comparing the numbers.

shadowkitty22

You also need to keep in mind that the less you have to lose the slower you're going to lose it than say someone like me who has a whole extra person's worth of weight to shed and can lose a few pounds a week. Just keep staying healthy, drink your water and try not to let the number on the scale get you down.

Will_Thrust_For_Candy

The difference between 30 minutes of cardio and 40 minutes isn't very much, actually. The average person burns around 10 calories per minute doing a moderately intense cardio workout. Adding five minutes a day results in difference of only 50 more calories burned. Adding ten minutes results in 100 more calories. That's about the same amount of calories that are in one apple.

I would look more closely at what and how much you are eating. The bottom line is you need to have a daily calorie deficit to burn fat and lose weight. Without this, it won't happen. What is your estimated BMR? How much are you eating per day? Are you accurately keeping track of everything? I would start by answering these questions and comparing the numbers.

This ^^^^^^^^^^

What and how much you are eating is crucial. Are you on a 1200 calorie/day diet? That could be part of the problem right there! It's so amazing when you can actually eat AND lose

momtobe06

Yep.. I am tracking everything I put in my mouth.. good or bad.. I take a break on weekends
actually I do ok with healthy eating & general portion control, snacking is a problem for me I have learned and I have cut back in the last 4 weeks.Today I went over by 52 calories... I do 1,200 calories plus my excercise calories... so around 1,500

Will_Thrust_For_Candy

Yep.. I am tracking everything I put in my mouth.. good or bad.. I take a break on weekends
actually I do ok with healthy eating & general portion control, snacking is a problem for me I have learned and I have cut back in the last 4 weeks.Today I went over by 52 calories... I do 1,200 calories plus my excercise calories... so around 1,500

By any chance have your figured out your BMR and your TDEE? Even though you're eating back your exercise calories you might still be consuming too little.....again, it's an awesome thing to have more food!

momtobe06

Yep.. I am tracking everything I put in my mouth.. good or bad.. I take a break on weekends
actually I do ok with healthy eating & general portion control, snacking is a problem for me I have learned and I have cut back in the last 4 weeks.Today I went over by 52 calories... I do 1,200 calories plus my excercise calories... so around 1,500

By any chance have your figured out your BMR and your TDEE? Even though you're eating back your exercise calories you might still be consuming too little.....again, it's an awesome thing to have more food!

what is BMR and TDEE?

jacksonpt

A few things...

1) you lose weight with a proper diet, not with exercise. If your diet stinks, exercise can cover it up (to some extent), but the key to losing weight is making sure your diet is where it's supposed to be.

2) have realistic expectations. You didn't put the weight on in a week, you're not going to lose it in a week. Expect this to take months or years depending on your ultimate goal.

3) don't get too hung up on the scale. It's a quick and easy way to measure, sure (which only feeds into the need for instant gratification), but it's a horribly inaccurate way to measure what's actually going on with your body. Try to take measurements instead.

jacksonpt

Yep.. I am tracking everything I put in my mouth.. good or bad.. I take a break on weekends
actually I do ok with healthy eating & general portion control, snacking is a problem for me I have learned and I have cut back in the last 4 weeks.Today I went over by 52 calories... I do 1,200 calories plus my excercise calories... so around 1,500

By any chance have your figured out your BMR and your TDEE? Even though you're eating back your exercise calories you might still be consuming too little.....again, it's an awesome thing to have more food!

what is BMR and TDEE?

by joejvcca71 in this thread:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/510406-tdee-is-everything

1. BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate): This is the amount of calories you need to consume to maintain your body if you were comatose (base level).

2. NEAT (Non-Exercise Associated Thermogenesis): The calorie of daily activity that is NOT exercise (eg: washing, walking, talking, shopping, working). ie: INCIDENTAL EXERCISE! It is something that everyone has a good amount of control over & it is the MOST important factor in your energy expenditure. It is what helps keep 'constitutionally lean' people LEAN (they fidget)!

3. EAT (Exercise Associated Thermogenesis): The calorie requirements associated with planned exercise. Unless someone is doing a whole heap of exercise (eg: two or more hrs training a day) it usually doesn't add a stack of calories to your requirements (30 minutes of 'elliptical training isn't going to do it')

4. TEF (Thermic effect of feeding): The calorie expenditure associated with eating. REGARDLESS of what myths you have been told - this is NOT dependent on MEAL FREQUENCY. It is a % of TOTAL CALORIES CONSUMED (and 15% of 3 x 600 cal meals is the same as 15% of 6 x 300 cal meals). It varies according to MACRONUTRIENT content and FIBER content. For most mixed diets, it is something around 15%. Protein is higher (up to 25%), carbs are variable (between 5-25%), and fats are low (usually less than 5%). So -> More protein and more carbs and more fiber = HIGHER TEF. More FAT = LOWER TEF.

5. TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expedenture): Total calories burned. BMR + NEAT + EAT + TEF = TDEE

Will_Thrust_For_Candy

Yep.. I am tracking everything I put in my mouth.. good or bad.. I take a break on weekends
actually I do ok with healthy eating & general portion control, snacking is a problem for me I have learned and I have cut back in the last 4 weeks.Today I went over by 52 calories... I do 1,200 calories plus my excercise calories... so around 1,500

By any chance have your figured out your BMR and your TDEE? Even though you're eating back your exercise calories you might still be consuming too little.....again, it's an awesome thing to have more food!

what is BMR and TDEE?

The exact definitions have been listed above, but basically your BMR is the amount of calories your body needs to function, at a comatose state. Your TDEE takes into account your activity level and other incidentals (as listed above). Your TDEE is what you would eat for maintenance. You should never be eating below your BMR and you can usually take a deficit of about 15-20% off your TDEE to lose weight. Check out the group Eat More to Weigh Less....there are tons of stickys that explain everything really well!

Also, how are you measuring calories burned during your workouts? Do you have a HRM or are you going by the numbers on the elliptical or MFP? The amount your burning might be off as well.

rachheals

I'm having the same problems wondering if 30 minutes of cardio with some light weight training 6-7 days a week is enough to lose a pound a week? People say 35 or even 40 minutes of cardio is better, but I don't have enough time. How are you getting on now in the New Year - any progress?